Kaleidoscope - Thanks so much for the reviews! Excellent feedback. As a matter of fact, yes, Draco is sketching Drea, kudos to you for catching that. As you'll notice from reading the next few chapters, there is quite a lot more Draco/Drea interaction, as the story focuses mainly on Drea's life and Draco becomes a big part of that.
Brianne - Thanks for not reviewing loser! Haha, just kidding, but seriously, review. It's great fun, I promise. :P
A/N: When I wrote this chapter, the 'hic' was in stars () so that you would realise that she isn't actually saying hic. However, when I updated it they ever-so-kindly removed my stars for me, therefore it now says thing like "I want hic some," which doesn't make any sense, so I felt that it would be prudent to let you know that those are hiccups marked in there. Please review if you read. Even if you don't really know what to say, it helps muchly if I know people are at least reading it.
Chapter Ten - I have quirks.
Drea, Chase, Xander and Christi had decided to go to a party rather than dressing up. Drea herself felt a little disappointed; she always looked forward to putting on a costume and becoming someone else, however this would be fun as well.
Xander got them out of the castle without a problem, as he was a Prefect. They rode their brooms, soaring high enough that they wouldn't be recognised by the people standing below.
Twenty minutes later, they landed outside of a huge house. The trees already had many roles of toilet paper hanging from their branches and the lawn was littered with red plastic beer cups. Drea looked at the house, an eyebrow raised sceptically. She wondered briefly if the party was over, as she heard no music or talking.
All of her scepticism was vanquished when Xander opened the door. Music was pounding, practically moving the floor beneath them. People were smiling, some of them stumbling around, clinging to people they barely knew. Chase and Christi walked away, shouting to some people across the room. Drea began to follow them, then realised that the people they were talking to were from Durmstrang. They weren't guests at Hogwarts, that was for sure. Drea knew them only because of their reputation for taking muggle drugs, skipping class, and being very loud supporters of Voldemort, although to her disgust, they still wouldn't say his name. She turned around and saw Xander watching her.
"What?" she asked playfully.
"Nothing, I just didn't know if we were going over or staying here. However, myself, I suggest we move away from the doorway," he finished with a smirk on his face, a small dimple forming on his cheek.
"I'd rather not join them, but I agree. Let's get drinks," she suggested.
"An excellent, if irresponsible plan."
"I meant soda," she said, trying to look disapproving.
"Sure you did," he answered sarcastically.
"I'm serious! I've never had alcohol."
Xander laughed, but Drea was unsure whether he was laughing because it was funny or because he didn't believe her. She followed him to the kitchen and poured herself some punch. He raised an eyebrow at her, taking a butterbeer from the fridge, using a spell to warm it up without heating the glass.
"Who else do you know that's here? We should mingle," he said after taking a swig from the bottle.
"Nobody worth talking to," she said sourly after scanning the crowd. "What about you?"
"That group of girls giggling in the corner, but I'm doubting that you want to talk to them."
"Excellent assumption," she said, wondering why they always used such stupid, large words around each other. She downed her cup and poured herself another, which she drank almost as quickly.
"Well," he started, scanning the crowd again. "The guys that were talking to Chase and Christi are watching them snog, and practically everyone else is following their example. Christi and Chase's, I mean," he added as an afterthought.
Drea made a face, pretending to be disgusted. Xander laughed and did a very convincing imitation of the couples, which made Drea giggle, something that she never did.
"Looks like we're on our own for the time being."
"Yup!" she agreed, much too cheerfully.
"So, what's happening with you and Draco?"
"Ugh, don't bring it up. We're fighting, yet again, over something that I can't even remember. Gods, I wish he would just grow up and stop being such a jerk." She stopped talking only because a hiccup interrupted her, then wondered vaguely why she was saying these things. She poured herself another drink, then faced Xander again. He looked a bit frustrated, angry even.
"If you think he's a jerk then why are you friends with him?" he said, asking a question that had been on his mind for quite some time.
"Because when he's not trying to hic impress people, he's actually quite tolerable."
"Well speak of the devil," Xander said, putting his empty bottle on the counter.
"Draco is not the Devil, Xander, he just doesn't hic understand himself sometimes," she said defensively.
"No, I meant that he just walked in the door. Drea, do you think maybe you've had enough… er… punch?" Xander asked slowly, watching her fill her cup again. She cocked her head to the side, wondering why he was talking to slowly, then caught sight of Draco and perked up.
"Great! Let's go talk to him! I'll bring him some hic punch!" she said, pouring another glass. She skipped over to where he was standing, surrounded by other Slytherins. She watched him shove Pansy off him nonchalantly, which made her burst into giggles again. "Draaaaaaaaaacooooooooooo!" she called in a singsong voice. "I hic brought you something!"
"Um… thanks, Drea," he said, taking the cup from her. She started another fit of laughter, which caused her to fall to the ground. She stood up awkwardly, pulling on Draco's arm for support.
"Your hair's real perty," she said, stroking his face.
"Drea, are you all right?" he asked in a concerned voice.
"Never been hic better! Have something to drink! It's really hic yummy!"
He cautiously took a drink from the cup, watching her the whole time. She nearly fell again, but this time Xander caught her.
"You are hic sooooo chivalrous!" she said to Xander, positioning herself on his lap.
"Drea, how much of this stuff have you had?" asked Draco.
"Um…" she said, counting on her fingers. "Five cups! Why?"
"Someone should take her back to the castle, she needs to sleep this off. Drea, have you ever had alcohol before?"
"Nope!" she said, wrapping her arms around the blonde.
"I'll take her," volunteered Blaise.
Draco glared menacingly at him, realising full well what Blaise would do with her. "Never mind, I'll take her. How did you guys get here, Birch?"
"Birch is a tree!" she shouted randomly.
"Very good, Drea. We rode brooms. What about you?"
"Same. I'm going to need your help getting her back, we'll have to hold onto her."
"Yeah, just let me tell Chase. I'll be back in a minute, okay Drea?"
"Ooooooooooooooooooooookay!" she said, hiccuping again.
"We're going to take you back to the school, okay Drea?" Draco said, crouching down to look at her.
"But we just hic got here!" she protested.
"We'll have our own party at Hogwarts," he said, knowing full well how to deal with a drunken person.
"Our own hic party…" she pondered it until Xander came back. "Yeah, okay!"
"Alright, let's get you outside. You can ride on my broom okay? Birch, I want you to stay close by in case she falls."
"Yeah, alright."
They walked out of the house, the pounding music becoming mute when the door closed.
"Alright Drea, climb on," said the blonde. She followed his instructions, clinging tightly to the broom. He climbed on behind her, putting his arms around her for security. He was warm and comfortable, and Drea relaxed into his arms. She barely noticed when they took off, but when they landed, she felt a sudden lurching in her stomach.
Drea felt sick but was too embarrassed to admit it. She had just gone from feeling ecstatically happy to feeling depressed.
"Okay, Drea, just take my arm. We're going to take you to bed, okay?"
"No…"
"Drea, you need to sleep this off. Drea, are you crying?" Xander asked her.
She sniffed loudly, then wiped her nose with her sleeve. "Why do I always have to be so damned emotional? It isn't as if someone died or anything!"
"Drea, you're drunk. You'll be okay in the morning, you just need rest."
Drea felt as though a little light bulb had gone off inside of her head. Of course! That explained everything; the crying, the giggling, the insufferable hiccups. "Take me to Professor Snape."
"I'm not sure that's such a great idea. He won't be too keen on the fact that you left the school without permission, never mind that you're drunk."
"He'll have potions to fix this. His anger, I can deal with. What I can't deal with is the nausea and the pounding in the back of my head." She watched the two boys look at each other sceptically, trying to communicate without saying anything. Drea, however, was now sober enough to recognize this. "Please," she said, trying to convince them.
"Yeah, alright," Xander finally answered.
"Have you completely lost your head?" Draco asked him. "Professor Snape is going to be furious! We can't let her handle him in this state."
"I have a feeling that she'll be okay."
"Alright," he said, obviously not believing that anyone could handle the Professor.
They walked into the school, the warmth enveloping them. Drea felt suffocated; she removed her coat faster than she'd ever done before, the boys watching curiously. When she was finished, they each took an arm and resumed the long walk to Professor Snape's private chambers.
Xander knocked on his door, knowing full well that the man was going to be angry. He always told his Prefects never to disturb him after 9:00, and quite frankly, Xander was afraid.
Professor Snape answered the door viciously, a snarl on his face. He took one look at Drea and the snarl disappeared.
"What happened here?" he asked menacingly.
"Sir, we were at a party and Drea was drinking what she thought was punch, and, well, it wasn't just punch. She requested we bring her here. She said you would have a potion or something, sir."
"Thank you for being honest, Mr Birch, although I do not remember giving any of you permission to leave the castle. I'll look after her. You may go."
"Thank you sir," they both said. Xander went back to the party to update Chase and Christi. Draco went upstairs to his room. He no longer felt like being out with his friends. He now felt like moping in his room, perhaps drawing, and thinking about Drea. She was such a confusing girl.
Perhaps this will clear things up between us, he allowed himself to think. Sighing, he said the password and walked into the Common Room. It was eerily quiet, and he wondered briefly if he was alone, then saw the mudblood girl and her brother talking quietly in the corner.
He suddenly felt angry, frustrated that he couldn't control his emotions, especially around a girl. Malfoys always had excellent control over themselves, why should one girl make a difference? He decided to take out his frustration on the pair.
"Hey mudblood, if I were to summon a magnet right now, would you stick to it, or would it not work because your metal was put there by muggles?" Draco knew that it wouldn't make a difference, but he couldn't think of anything better. Even he was feeling a bit off, and he'd only had half a glass of the stuff.
"Shove it, Malfoy. You've known for a long time that Candra no longer has braces, and even if she did, that gives you no reason to insult her like that," Jadon said, standing up in a threatening manner.
"You're right, the fact that she's a mudblood is reason enough," he said, walking into his Dorm. He no longer felt angry. He was glad that Drea hadn't walked in just then, she would have been furious. He sighed, lying down on his bed, watching the ceiling that never changed, yet always seemed so different.
Severus sat in his private chambers, drinking tea and reading over his notes. He still hadn't found the bloody mistake in his work and it was beginning to frustrate him. More than that, it was Hallowe'en, the Professor's least favourite holiday. It had once been a day where people respected the dead, and now it was simply an excuse to make loud noises and drink.
The dark-haired Professor pushed back his chair from the table and walked to the bathroom. After washing his hands and splashing cold water on his face, he looked at himself in the mirror. His hair was the same as it had been at Hogwarts, his nose was still far too large, and his eyebrows still stuck out at every angle imaginable, yet he was a completely different person than he had once been. He sighed and walked to the kitchen with the intention of making a sandwich when he heard a knock on the door.
That was another reason he hated Hallowe'en. Nearly every year since he had begun teaching, at least one student decided that it would be funny to dress up and 'trick-or-treat' at his door.
He swung his door open with a force that surprised even him, a menacing snarl on his face. What he saw there was not at all what he had expected. Draco and Mr Birch were standing on either side of Ms Daray, holding her up. She looked as though she had been crying, and her eyes were full of shame, confusion and depression.
"What happened here?" he asked them, not allowing his expression to betray the fact that he actually felt bad for the girl.
"Sir, we were at a party and Drea was drinking what she thought was punch, and, well, it wasn't just punch. She requested we bring her here. She said you would have a potion or something, sir."
"Thank you for being honest, Mr Birch, although I do not remember giving any of you permission to leave the castle," he said, making sure that they knew that he was unimpressed. "I'll look after her. You may go."
"Thank you sir," they both said.
"Ms Daray, you may come in." He watched the girl attempt to walk properly, then was forced to help her when she nearly broke an end table. He led her to the couch and told her to lie down. He most certainly was not going to be easy on the girl. He could understand why she would want to blur her mind, but he knew from experience that it was only temporary relief. The pain that followed was worse than it had been before, due to the fact that one had had a brief respite.
"Before I decide whether or I not I should even help you, I must ask why you felt that it was necessary to drink yourself into a stupor."
"I didn't mean to, sir."
"Ms Daray, do not attempt to tell me that you are not aware of how much alcohol the human body can handle. You've obviously had far too much to drink. I'm actually quite surprised that you haven't passed out yet."
"I didn't know that there was alcohol in it, sir. I've also never had alcohol before, so it probably affected me more than it would others."
Severus raised an eyebrow. He could see in her eyes, despite the fact that they were unfocussed, that she was telling the truth. She was probably the only Slytherin, and possibly one of the only students, who had never been drunk, never mind consumed alcohol. He felt a small amount of pity for her, however his hatred for alcohol consumption overwhelmed the feeling.
"Although I believe you in this matter, I refuse to give you an immediate escape. It was your choice to drink, however innocent you were in the matter, and you have to deal with the consequences. I have another potion that may help you; it will put you into an undisturbed sleep until your blood is clear. However, before it can affect your mind, it has to clear it of the uppermost thoughts, which will probably be voiced. Are you willing to do this, Ms Daray?"
"Anything to stop the bloody pain," she said, wrapping her arms around her knees.
"I'll be back in a moment," he said. Before leaving he made sure that she was all right, then walked to the Potions room, which contained most of his less potent potions. He took a bottle of dull yellow potion from the shelf and made sure that it was still pure. He hadn't used for a long time, due to the fact that most students went immediately to Madam Pomphrey. His inspection was interrupted by the sound of Ms Daray shouting in his chambers.
He ran back to his room and found Ms Daray on the floor crying and pounding her fists against it, shouting.
"Ms Daray, please calm down. Tell me what the problem is," he said, realising that he was dealing with something worse than alcohol.
"The damned merry-go-round won't stop and I want to get off!"
Hallucinations. Not a good sign, he thought to himself.
"Why are they all laughing? I didn't agree to this. I never asked for this pain," she said with desperation, clutching her left arm. Her eyes opened, focussing exactly on the Professor's. "Make it stop. I don't want to be like them."
Physical pain as well.
"Who, Ms Daray? Who don't you want to be like?"
Ms Daray looked frantically at the ceiling, as though frightened that someone was hiding there.
"The mark. It's there, I can see it. It's watching me. They want to take me. I won't go! I won't!" she screamed frantically, clutching to Severus' arm.
"Ms Daray, there's nobody here except for us."
"Mom, stop! Why are you doing this to yourself? He'll never take you back, you know it!"
I need a sample of that drink; otherwise I won't be able to help her.
Severus walked to his desk, fully aware that Ms Daray was still screaming. He quickly wrote a note to Draco, hoping that he was still sober enough to realise that this was serious. He told his golden-feathered owl, Kaida, to find him immediately, then returned to where Ms Daray was still laying on the floor, crying hysterically now. He had never encountered anything like this, and was quite unsure how to deal with it. He was horrible with emotions to begin with, and although the seemingly random phrasing coming from the girl's mouth meant nothing to him, he guessed that they had something to do with her life.
"I told you not to touch me! You have to leave. Now!" she shouted, pushing him away from her. She huddled under a coffee table, giving Severus the distinct impression that she could see despite the hallucinations.
"I told you, Draco, that giving your trust to someone only gave them the chance to break it. Why'd you have to prove me right? Why can't you just… be you?" she said sadly. Severus accepted the change from frantic screaming to sad remembrance, although he was confused. Had it not been Draco who had had his heart broken?
"Dad, no! Oh my Gods, no, don't leave me. What'll I do without you? Where will I go? Dad, please. Please be okay," she sobbed, wiping her tears from her face.
"Severus, I came as quickly as I could. What's happened? Is it Drea?" Draco said, panting.
"Stay with her. I'll return in a moment," Severus said shortly, taking the vial from Draco and walking to the door. "By the way, she's having hallucinations. I trust you know how to deal with that," he said, giving Draco a meaningful stare.
"Yes sir."
"Good," Severus said, walking to the Potions room. He observed the drink, which had settled, making it easy to see that it contained something other than the alcohol and the actual beverage.
He first boiled out the alcohol, taking care not to lose any of the precipitate in the bottom. Next he got rid of the water, then carefully strained the pulp from the concoction. He found that he had a blue precipitate in a yellow liquid, something that he could recognise but not quite place. He hoped that he had taught it to Draco and walked quickly back to his chambers.
"Draco, do you recognise this poison?" he asked hurriedly. He waited impatiently for Draco to wipe his eyes, tapping his foot.
"I'm not sure what the name was, but that's one of the poisons that you taught me this summer. It's used to cause hallucinations, almost like a muggle drug, but when mixed with alcohol it becomes lethal and causes hallucinations based on events in the person's life. It can also cause the infected person to see into the future. They often see their own death, which causes them to go loony and almost certainly commit suicide. Why, Severus, what's wrong?" he asked, seeing the man's face go pale.
"Draco, are you capable of staying with Ms Daray?" he asked, knowing that the boy would say yes.
"Of course sir, but where did you get that poison from. That isn't… what she consumed?" he asked.
"I need you to write a letter to Mr Birch. Inform him that the beverage that Ms Daray was drinking is lethal and that it is to be vanquished immediately. Anyone who has consumed it needs to inform a nurse or doctor. Make sure that Ms Daray stays calm, I'll be back in 20 minutes," he said, running from the room.
Severus prepared the antidote as quickly as he could, but a potion still needed time to heat, or in this case, cool down. Taken as a liquid, it could kill the person instantly. As a solid, it would put the person into a deep sleep. He could then administer the second antidote, which he already had prepared, and would rid her body of the poison. He only hoped that there was enough time.
Draco drifted off into sleep only to be woken up by Professor Snape's owl. He rubbed his eyes and yawned, taking the parchment from the owl's leg.
Draco,
I need a sample of the drink that Ms Daray consumed as quickly as possible. Time is of the essence, make haste.
Severus
Draco began to panic, wondering what was wrong. Surely Drea was just drunk, he'd had some of the beverage and he felt fine. He grabbed his broomstick from beside his bed and jumped onto it. He rode it through the school and was almost stopped by Professor McGonagall, but ignored her warnings to dismount immediately, promising to explain later.
He ran into the house, pushing past anyone who was in his way. He quickly filled the vial that he'd brought with him at the last moment, corked it, then sprinted to the door.
"Draco, how's Drea feeling?" Birch called from across the room.
"I'm not sure," he called back, rushing for his broom. His mind was racing, trying to remember the last thing he'd said to Drea before tonight. They'd had an argument, only he wasn't sure what it had been about. He dismounted his broom when he arrived at the school, running to the Professor's private chambers.
"Severus, I came as quickly as I could. What's happened? Is it Drea?" Draco said frantically, searching for any sign of the girl. He found her crying on the Professor's floor.
"Stay with her. I'll return in a moment," Severus said shortly, taking the vial from Draco and walking to the door. "By the way, she's having hallucinations. I trust you know how to deal with that," he said, giving Draco a meaningful stare.
"Yes sir," he said, knowing full well how do deal with hallucinations. He'd had training with Severus during the summer, as well as taking care of his mother when she was drunk.
"Good."
Draco crawled to the girl, unsure whether to touch her or not. She was on her knees, pleading incomprehensively to the rug. He wished she would say something that he could recognize; at least then he'd know how to react.
His wish came true moments later, although it was quite unlike what he'd expected.
"Draco, they're coming. My parents, they want me to become a Death Eater. I need your help," she said, looking straight into his eyes.
"Drea?" he asked hopefully, confused but hoping that her hallucinations had stopped. He realised that this was not the case, as she was looking frantically around the room, searching for something that wouldn't be found. He put his arms around her, letting her know what he was there. "I'll help you, I promise," he whispered to her, wishing that she could hear him. He'd found that touch, but not sound, could have an effect on a hallucinating person, however it made him feel more comfortable to speak to her.
"Harry Potter!" she shouted suddenly, sounding ecstatic. Draco frowned and knitted his eyebrows together. Despite the fact that she was hallucinating, he still felt jealous of the attention.
"Why are you so bloody annoying? I don't want to be with you, can't you understand that?" she shouted at him, pushing him away from her. He was so shocked, so utterly hurt that tears welled up in his eyes. He normally would not have allowed himself to cry, but he was alone and was emotionally unbalanced.
"Draco, do you recognise this poison?" Severus asked, walking briskly into the room. Draco quickly wiped his eyes, ashamed at his weakness, then turned to the Professor. He vaguely recognised the potion, but could not put a name to it. He only hoped that that was enough.
"I'm not sure what the name was, but that's one of the poisons that you taught me this summer. It's used to cause hallucinations, almost like a muggle drug, but when mixed with alcohol it becomes lethal and causes hallucinations based on events in the person's life. It can also cause the infected person to see into the future. They often see their own death, which causes them to go loony and sometimes commit suicide. Why, Severus, what's wrong?" he asked, seeing the man's face go pale.
"Draco, are you capable of staying with Ms Daray?" he asked.
"Of course sir, but where did you get that poison from. That isn't… what she consumed?" he asked, petrified now. He was not about to lose one of the only people that he cared for, and the only person that he trusted save the Professor himself.
"I need you to write a letter to Mr Birch. Inform him that the drink that Ms Daray was drinking is lethal and that it is to be vanquished immediately. Anyone who has consumed it needs to inform a nurse or doctor. Make sure that Ms Daray stays calm, I'll be back in 20 minutes," he said, running from the room.
Draco grabbed a scroll of parchment from the kitchen table and wrote a quick note to Birch. He attached it to Kaida's leg and sent her away, then quickly ran to Drea. She was crying again, clawing at a table leg. She scratched the wood until the varnish was completely gone, deep enough that the staining was no longer there.
"It's not true! It can't be! I trusted you! I… I trusted you…" she sobbed. Draco risked taking her hand, enveloping it in his own. Her fingertips were bleeding, her fingernails inexistant. She bawled into his arms, eventually wearing herself out to the point where she could hardly breathe, but there was nothing that he could do about it. She relaxed against his chest and he wondered frantically if she'd passed out, but she'd only closed her eyes. Her arms tightened around his waist and she pressed her cheek against him. He felt guilty that he was getting happiness from this moment, but it was everything that he'd wanted for the past two months. He rested his chin on her head and rubbed her back, making sure that her lungs were relaxing enough to allow proper breathing.
"Lie her on the couch," Professor Snape commanded, probably more forcefully than he had meant to. Draco obeyed, laying Drea out as smoothly as he could. He didn't want to disturb her now that she had found what he hoped was peace.
The dark-haired man that Draco had always admired now wrinkled his forehead, causing him to appear much older than he was. He opened Drea's mouth and forced a small, green pill down her throat. She began to choke on it, but he poured what Draco assumed was water into her mouth and closed it until her body forced her to swallow it. She relaxed almost immediately, the muscles in her body becoming slack. He watched as her eyes stopped moving behind their lids, and continued until nothing was left of her tears but the salt on her cheeks.
"What happened, Severus?" he asked finally.
"I gave her a potion to calm her mind. The one that I had originally planned on giving her reacts poorly with the poison, potentially making it more lethal. After five minutes, I can give her this potion, which will counter the poison. She'll be completely healed in a couple of days."
"Sir, she… she said some things while you were gone. I'm not sure if they have any reason to them, but perhaps you'd like you hear them anyway."
"Of course, Draco. I'm sure she'll want to know what she said when she wakes up. Come have a seat," he said, walking to the kitchen table.
"Sir, if it's all the same to you, I'd rather stay here."
"It's your choice. What did she say?"
"She said something about her parents coming and wanting her to become and Death Eater and that she needed my help. She looked right at me, I could have sworn she was conscious."
"Yes, it was as though she could see her surroundings despite the hallucinations. Did she say anything else?" he asked, wondering for the second time whether she knew that her parents truly were Death Eaters or not.
"Yes, she shouted 'Harry Potter' in a rather cheery manner, then told me that I was annoying and why couldn't I understand that she didn't want to be with me," he said, hoping that he was remaining quite emotionless. He knew that the Professor had seen him crying, but hoped to make up for it by staying strong now.
"Did she specifically say that to you, or did she simply say it at you?"
"Er… well, I suppose she said it at me. She pushed me away from her. I never really considered that she could be talking to someone else."
Severus got up from the table and administered the potion, then sat down again.
"I ask because she did the same thing to me," he explained. "She said that she'd told me not to touch her, which she most certainly did not." Draco smirked, imagining for a moment that Drea had actually said such a thing. "Of course," the Professor continued, "She has never had reason to tell me that," he finished, managing to raise an eyebrow and scowl at the boy at the same time. "Anything else?"
"You may have noticed that the leg of your table is scratched," he began.
"Which one?" the man asked, glancing at the kitchen table. It was one of his personal favourites and was not pleased when he heard this.
"The table in here, sir. The right leg there, do you see it? Anyway, she scratched her fingertips raw while screaming 'It's not true, I trusted you' or something of the sort. That's all I could understand sir, and then she relaxed. Sir, why did she react like this? I mean, she should have been dead, should she not have?" he asked curiously.
"Draco, do you believe in fate?" the man asked, hoping to find a way to explain the potion.
"Not really sir," Draco said sceptically.
"Pretend for a moment that you do. Now, you said that most people see themselves dying and commit suicide, correct?"
"Yes sir."
"Perhaps Ms Daray did not see her own death because the gods aren't yet finished with her. Had she seen her death, she probably would have destroyed herself, which she did not, leading me to believe that she may have seen other aspects of her future. Aside from after she calmed down, did you touch her at all?"
"Er…yes sir," Draco said, blushing a bit. It didn't always try to control his emotions around the man, as they'd known each other since Draco had been but a boy.
"It's possible that this contact may have affected her hallucinations enough to keep her from seeing her death. Together we may have saved her life, even before I administered the potions."
Draco looked lost in thought, staring silently at the man. He then turned to Drea and observed her, making sure that she was all right.
"You should get to bed, Draco. I'll let you know when she wakes up."
"Thank you, sir. You have no idea how much this means to me."
"You know, Draco, I just might. There's quite a bit about me that you don't know."
"Like what?" the blonde asked, knowing that he was invading the man's privacy.
"For one, I do have feelings. I know what it's like to lose, or to nearly lose someone that you care for. For another, I have quirks," he added, hoping to throw the boy off-guard.
"Like how you take 13 steps every time you answer the door?" Draco asked, smirking.
Severus stared at the boy, wondering how he'd come to realise this. "Yes, like how I take 13 steps every time I answer my door. Go to bed," he finished gruffly.
"Good night, sir."
"Good night."